Everything Happens For A Reason
by ell25
Summary: It’s fate! Well, that’s how Zuko sees it. But what's the reason for finding each other lost in a forest to face sickness, rebels, stampedes, broken ice and near deaths? Maybe it’s just so they can come out the other end alive. Friendship/humour.
1. Prologue: Fate

**Prologue: Fate**

Every individual has a different take on why things occur in the world - why events take place there and then, why people do what they do…

Now to some people there is no reasoning behind this. What happens, happens. They don't question it. Nothing in particular causes it; just one individual human being makes a move, whether it may be stealthy and wise or abrupt and just plain stupid. But eventually it leads to a whole lot of other circumstances, opportunities and scenarios. Have you ever played chess? Well if so, that's how half the population see life.

And then to some people it all comes down to fate. That one little, four-letter word. It comes down to 'everything happens for a reason'. What does this mean exactly? Well my definition would have to be that it's that the consequences from an event that takes place or actions that ensue that in result lead to something else which happens for a reason to lead to something else…. But as I mentioned before, not everyone necessarily thinks this way. But one teenaged boy does; he thinks that there's a reason behind everything in everyday life. And he tries to rat it out. He believes that…

_Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a reason._ He repeats the mantra in his head a million times over until his head hurts…and until the words sink in. He laughs aloud at the irony of his predicament despite himself. 'Sinks in'.

He wonders, _so what's the reason for me to be sinking in quick sand? Will this be my slow and hopefully not painful death? I always had it etched in my mind for as long as I can remember that I was going to be burnt to a crisp by my lunatic - not fit enough to be called a - sister…or to be finally finished off by my father. To even be killed in a fire nation raid or for Aang to lose control of his Avatar State! Any of them would be more likely. But no, not even close, I am going to sink to my death in little grains. _

_Maybe it's a little ironic…maybe it's the way my life is meant to end. I wonder if my life will really flash before my eyes in those last seconds? Because honestly, I don't want it to. Especially if it involves my childhood – not many good memories come from there. This death is kind of…embarrassing._

"Help!" he yells in desperation into the nothingness. His voice travels so far through the terrain and eventually echoes against the scrub but no one is around to answer his call. He looks around frantically, his eyes darting back and forth in an attempt to find anything, a branch, a stick, a root to grab hold onto…but nothing.

So he does the only thing he can do, hope to Yue that this is happening for a _very _good reason. After all, Zuko is always the optimistic.

"Hey, what are you doing?" a voice asks casually as if she has suddenly struck up a conversation about the weather.

"Toph?" he breathes disbelievingly but also apprehensively. "Toph!" he confirms to himself more than anything.

"That's me." She grins widely.

"Get me out of here," he pleads.

Fire Lord Zuko pleading? Who would've thought?

With an eyebrow raised to surely its highest altitude she seems to ponder what she will do momentarily, as if he has stated some very complicated and highly intellectual sentence and is trying to take it all in. Her milky eyes linger somewhere near Zuko's sinking figure and finally she laughs. Out of every possible thing she could do, she laughs, to Zuko's complete and utter annoyance.

"Well, actually, I find it much more amusing when you're sinking in quicksand. That _is _what's happening right?"

"Yes," he replies through gritted teeth. "Now Toph, for the love of Yue get me out of here! It's up to my neck!"

"Wow, that's even more amusing. What's in it for me?"

_Everything happens for a reason. Everything happens for a reason._

The sinking teen closes his eyes and when he opens them again he begs. "Toph, I don't know. Anything, anything you want. Just please get me out of here."

"That's what I like to hear. But still, you're going to survive; quicksand isn't a man eating badger mole. Now you've just dug yourself a bigger hole with the whole 'anything, anything you want' line." She snickers after mimicking his gruff voice.

Anger rises inside of him and he starts struggling and panicking.

"You'll just make it worse," she tells him knowingly in a sing-song tone. "You'll float if you stay still, and plus, it's only a few feet deep so you're not going to sink any lower."

She flashes him a smirk and muses loudly. Then finally after having her fun, Toph pushes one foot forward along the ground, her back leg bent inward, and moves her hands in an outward motion, focusing on the rock that is amongst the other substances. As she pulls it together she uses it to thrust Zuko upward and to land 'safely' on the ground that he now cherishes beneath him.

"Thanks," Zuko mumbles irritably standing up. "It would've made life much easier if you had just gotten me out straight away and not toyed with me!"

She shrugs nonchalantly. "Yeah, for you maybe, but not for me. Let's just say it's payback for burning my feet."

She begins to walk away and he calls after her pointing his finger at her turned back, "Hey, I repaid you for that. That was ages ago! How can you even use that against me now? You're so infuriating!"

She shrugs and continues walking. "Where are you going?" He finally notices she has walked off and runs after her, stopping in front of her panting. "Do you-" He is interrupted as he is slid smoothly to his right by the blind girl's earthbending and he growls. "Fine! You go, and I'll…I'll go this way." With a huff Zuko turns on his heel and walks in the opposite direction to Toph who snorts loudly.

_I hate this forest already! _Zuko thinks irritably. _There's a tree, and another tree, oh and for a change there's another tree! Greens and browns aren't my thing…well actually that depends. _He sneaks a look back at Toph until continuing to meander absentmindedly.

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A/N: I've had this idea for ages and I've been writing it for a fair while so I do hope you enjoyed the prologue! But, any sort of constructive criticism will most definitely be taken into consideration, and please alert me of any mistakes. It helps me grow as a writer :D Thanks! xx


	2. My saviour

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender.**

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**

**Chapter 1: My saviour**

Fire Lord Zuko is at this moment wandering aimlessly around a forest, weaving his way around tree trunk after tree trunk inevitably becoming more lost than he already is. Predictable? Yes, I thought so. He has a knack for getting into trouble, but also seems to find some way out it. How? Only Agni knows.

As he walks around aimlessly he also tends to mutters to himself…a common trait of his, believe it or not especially when he thinks animals are listening to him. "I'll show her. What is she even doing out here anyway? What am _I_ even doing out here? Oh that's right, I'm lost because of my uncle. So does that mean she's lost to? Well I don't care. If she wants to be like that then fine!" Zuko's conversation with himself seems to end as his tone reaches finality and he crosses his arms in front of his chest.

It takes only a few seconds until he drops his arms down by his side gloomily, defeated. "I don't know where I'm going," he finishes aloud dejectedly shaking his head. "Zuko, talking to yourself is the first sign of going crazy." He looks up to the sky through the canopy which he can barely make out is shrouded by clouds and yells out loudly in frustration. He then finally resorts to seating himself down in the dirt and leaning against a large tree, its overhanging branches covered in shades of green sheltering him from the blistering sun.

0OoO0o0OoO0o0Oo

A group of fire nation men, their companions - tiger lions - at their side ready to strike at the men's command, wheel around to the sound of a yell...Zuko's yell. They immediately begin to wander toward the noise. "Looks like someone is trespassing," one of the men says slowly to no one in particular.

They quicken their pace, searching for a sign of the trespasser. They begin approaching a fallen tree when the men hear a voice speak to their left, but see no one. Said voice is the exact replica of the one that had yelled previously. "Maybe if I find myself some more quicksand Toph will come and save me then I can find out how to get out of here!" it says.

The leader of the men indicates to a large tree with his thumb and the men nod. Without warning a thick rope with an anchor attached to its end, tightly wraps around a tree truck which undoubtedly has Zuko leaning up against it. He is inevitably and instantly tied to the tree in seconds, a thick rope hugging his chest tightly, his hands also bound to his side.

He tries to turn his head and look beyond the tree trunk but to no avail. "Why me?" he asks aloud as the group of men reveal themselves from behind the tree trunk.

_I could have just__ stayed at the palace and told uncle to go himself, but no, I had to be the nice guy and do it for him. And see where it has led me? In a matter of minutes I've nearly sunk in quicksand, been saved my best friend and tied to a tree by a group of thugs. Can my day get any worse?_

The two tiger lions owned by the men pace menacingly in front of Zuko sniffing him intently and growling ferociously. _OK, it just got worse._

"Prince Zuko, or should I say Fire Lord Zuko," he spits Zuko's title, "Just the man we want to see trespassing on our land."

"Trespassing? I own it!"

The men laugh gruffly and Zuko soon becomes face to face with the largest of the men. The buffest, burliest man lowers himself down to Zuko's level, his horrid breath passing over Zuko's face. Zuko grimaces as he stares into his intimidating golden hues, but he doesn't falter in the slightest.

"Poor Fire Lord Zuko is going crazy," he chides. "You didn't even know this place existed up until now. You see, this is where…how should I put it? This is where us rebels think of ways to bring you to your downfall – the tragedy of Fire Lord Zuko - but it seems you have already made this too easy for us." He grins wickedly revealing a set of the exact opposite of pearly white teeth; they depict rotten, yellowish brown ones.

Zuko scowls at the man and turns his head from those piercing eyes. The man grabs his chin with his dirty hand and pulls Zuko's head around to face him once again.

"Weren't you ever taught any manners? You're meant to look a man in the eye when he's speaking to you. It's a sign of respect." The man spits on Zuko's face and stands up.

"You won't get away with this!" Zuko shouts.

"Oh, really? What makes you say that?"

Zuko averts his gaze once again and fails to reply.

"Don't want to talk to me? That's OK then, we don't like the social type. Oh and how rude of me, I know your name but you don't know mine." He laughs mockingly. "I am Morio, leader of our rebel society. So, any last words? Want to tell us what brings you to our land anyway, Fire Lord Zuko?"

_What's the reason for this? _Zuko questions himself.

And before any sound of protest of that he owns the land yet again can escape the lips of the Fire Lord, the man standing in front of Zuko is shot five feet in the air and is plummeted back down to the ground. Simultaneously, the other men are shot into the air and are rocketed back down to the earth before they can scurry away. Whilst this happens, the tiger lions whimper and dart off through the scrub without a backward glance to their owners.

Zuko stares at them in disbelief, his mouth hanging open and eyes wide, the rope forgotten.

"How many times do I have to save your life today?"

"Toph…?"

She shrugs, squatting down in front of him. "Do you really have to keep questioning my existence; I'm the blind one here, remember? Anyway, I knew something like this would happen to you, it never fails, so I decided to follow you."

"Even though it's against everything I stand for," she adds as an afterthought.

He sighs. "Toph, I'm sorry for what I did OK? Can we please just drop it?"

He waits impatiently for her response. "Only because we're stuck out here and we're lost," she agrees indirectly.

He breathes a sigh of relief and notices the sunlight ricocheting off a metal object in the pocket of Morio's pants. "The man closest to you has a knife with him…do you think you could grab it and break through the rope around me?"

"Aye aye, Sparky."

After being released from the grasp of the thick rope, Zuko walks over to the semiconscious men. He takes their only bag that is sitting neatly beside one of the men and while he is at he takes a hooded jumper that one of them is carrying. He hitches his new supplies over his shoulder and Toph and Zuko start on their walk in an attempt to escape their predicament and their new found prison. No way out.

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_Thank you so much for all your feedback and those who added this to alerts. Definitely appreciated and I hope all of you wonderful readers enjoyed this chapter. Once again, any constructive criticism is welcome or just drop a review to let me know what you did and/or didn't like :)_


	3. Bitter Cold Nights

**Chapter 2: Bitter Cold Nights  
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After trudging through the forest - side-by-side and exhausted - the duo collapse on the ground as darkness and sleepiness takes over them. Toph (a little reluctantly) shares her earth tent with Zuko as a cool, billowing breeze manages to find its way through a hole - about the size of Zuko's fist - that they use to get some sort of breeze and oxygen circulating throughout the 'tent'.

Zuko uncomfortably shifts on the hard, dirt ground, attempting to find a small patch of grass or moss to rest his head on as some sort of comfort instead of a rock.

His eyes now adjusted to the darkness, he pulls out the hooded jumper he had picked up earlier that day and places it under his head as he stares at the back of Toph's head.

The wind whips around Toph's face, blowing wisps of hair around her feature, tickling her ever so lightly. She continuously swats at her hair and shivers slightly due to the bitter cold of the night. Rubbing her exposed arm to the wind in an attempt to get rid of her goose bumps she finally resorts to turning over to face toward Zuko. His breathing rhythm tells her that he is definitely not asleep and she feels his gaze (metaphorically) burning into her.

"What?" She makes a face at him, her eyes wide and eyebrows elevated and her mouth absentmindedly hanging open.

"You're cold aren't you?" Zuko asks sympathetically, squinting to see her in the dark-filled earth tent.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Even I don't need your lie detecting skills to know that you're lying."

After a few moments she questions, "So?"

"So, you're going to get sick and we can't afford that. Take this." Zuko throws her the jumper, not at all indisposed, which lands on her lying figure.

"I don't need it, I'm not cold," she chastises, throwing the jumper to the side.

Zuko shrugs awkwardly and closes his eyes ready for sleep to take him shaking his head slightly. He has his inner fire to keep him warm, but Toph, she's only got her stubbornness and rock hard attitude to keep her warm at night. He figures she may use it in the night and decides not to retrieve it for his own benefit.

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The sun peeks through the canopy of trees, vines and bush, finishing upon an earth tent where the sleeping figures of Zuko and Toph lay; their chests rising and falling with every breath. A bull worm casually slides through Toph's toes and she wiggles them delightfully. A birdrat chirps from atop a tree branch peacefully and Zuko awakens to the sound of its sweet whistling tune. He distinctively looks over to Toph and smiles, knowing that she is safe, and thankfully not shivering. Although, he sees the jumper still lying where she had thrown it to the side the previous night and he sighs quietly.

Deciding to let her sleep for a while longer, Zuko begins scavenging through the bag of supplies that they had taken as their own. He hadn't thought of doing this before. There is the usual food and clean water. But unfortunately as he digs down to the bottom of the bag he discovers no map, no compass, no nothing that could help get anybody's attention or get them out of there. Just supplies to keep them fed and watered for the next couple of days…if that. It would need to be rationed.

_Everything happens for a reason. I _know _that fate would've given us some sort of help if we needed it, so it looks as if we are capable of making through this on our own…so far._

He gets up and takes off his shirt revealing his toned chest. Getting into a squatted position, his legs placed wide apart, he begins his morning hot squats. He struggles to even do one in the small enclosure as his head touches the tip of it. But nonetheless he continues with a small grunt.

After an hour of this he realises the morning is slowly creeping away and soon midday would approach, and so wiping the sweat off his face he puts his shirt back on and Zuko finally wakes Toph up, they had to get going sometime.

"Toph…Toph…" He shakes her awake.

Rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hands she sits up yawning loudly.

"Are you ready yet?" she asks in a somewhat impatient tone.

"I've been ready for an hour!"

"So have I." She grins.

_I should've known she had been awake. Toph can _never _wake up this quickly…well not since I've known her._

Lowering the earth tent she asks, "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well I was thinking we'd catch a play, then feed the turtle ducks and finally sit down to a feast in the evening."

"Since when did you have a sense of humour?"

"Since I had to spend time with you and Sokka." He smirks.

"Well at least I make decent jokes unlike him," she replies proudly causing Zuko to roll his eyes, although a smile still gracing his lips.

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"So…"

"So…Uh, are you and Mai thinking of getting married or something soon?"

_And the awkward conversations commence._

Zuko clears his throat nervously.

"We're actually not together anymore."

"Oh, why's that?"

_She never seems to have any problem about prying into other people's business._

Letting a breath escape his lips he starts, "We just weren't right for each other. We started drifting apart and in the end we just finished our relationship. And…" he trails off.

"And…?" Toph prompts.

"And…yeah, nothing. There is no 'and'."

"Wrong."

"Fine, I think she has a crush on someone else."

"Wrong."

"Um, Uncle didn't like it," he says uncertainly hearing the lie as soon as it hits his ears.

"Wrong," Toph retorts in a bored tone as if she could say it all day as pure impulse.

"OK, I have a crush on someone else!"

"Correct! So who's the lucky girl, Sparky?"

_Damn! Why is she so persuasive?_

There is such a long break until Zuko answers that Toph figures he hadn't heard her (or didn't want to answer it, which was more likely), and was about to repeat her question when he responds with, "Race ya?"

And before she has time to reject his offer he runs off and she sprints after him, not daring to lose against the almighty Zuko.

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_Feedback as always is deeply appreciated through that button below me here :) Hope you enoyed it! Any questions and queries; just ask me!_


	4. I Spy What I Wish I Could See

**Chapter 3: I Spy What I Wish I Could See**

"I spy with my Fire Nation eye," Zuko starts, still panting heavily from their race, "something beginning with I."

"Is it, idiot? Do you mind joking about my disability? I take it to heart." Toph mocks holding a hand to her chest whilst sniffling, although she spoils the effect when she giggles. Zuko joins her and they eventually land themselves into a laughing fit still out of breath from running.

When they have finally regained themselves Toph asks, "So what was the thing starting with I?"

"Oh…" he starts unsurely.

"You didn't have anything for I did you? You thought because I can't see I would never be able to guess it! But honestly, you were giving me an invitation to make something out of it," she finishes, grinning.

He shoots her a sarcastic smile which she misses for obvious reasons.

Ignoring her 'too smart for her own good' antics Zuko inquires, "Wanna stop for some food?"

She smirks. "Yeah sure, I'm starving!"

Now that she mentioned it, Zuko was fairly famished to.

Finding a grassy patch they sit down and Zuko rummages through the pack that he had been carrying since they – Toph – had taken out the rebels.

"How come you seem to know everything about me, everything that I'm thinking?"

"I listen," she states matter-of-factly.

"I listen to!"

"Sparky, I hear water."

"I know what listening is Toph! I'm not stupid."

"No, you _are_ stupid. I'm serious, I can hear running water."

"Oh, thank Yue. I didn't want to say anything before but we're all out of water." There's a pause. "Wanna eat first?"

"Yes!" she replies enthusiastically and they both laugh.

Zuko throws her a papaya that lands in her lap and they immediately begin to devour one each.

Between bites Toph says, "You know you're not that bad after all…" She smirks. "Sparky. Why has it taken us so long to get in contact again?"

"I wouldn't really call this 'getting in contact', but I don't know. I guess my Fire Lord duties and you going back to-" he contemplates using the word 'parents' and decides against it. "And well my Fire Lord duties have just been taking up so much time. Trying to deal with continuous complaints and finally bringing peace, well it just takes a lot of time."

"I guess. And you know, Sparky, you _can_ say 'parents'. It's OK, really, the word isn't cursed. We can say that we have something in common with our parents I guess. They're not really there for us are they?"

"Well if you count trying to kill me and leaving me as a boy and not letting me know what happened as not really being there, then I guess so."

She smiles at this. "See and now we can laugh about it."

He returns the smile because he knows that she can tell he's smiling none the less. "Ready to show me where that water is?"

"Sure. This way." Toph indicates to their left and Zuko follows in tow.

Walking side by side they approach the fast running, clean water. But before they reach it Toph holds an arm out in front of Zuko's chest and he comes to a halt. She bends some rock over a small area in front of her and continues walking, removing her hand from in front of Zuko.

"Wh-?"

"Quicksand," she replies bluntly before Zuko can finish.

"I'm surprised you didn't let me sink in it again."

"As am I," she shoots back grinning. "Wait…_again_? I technically didn't let you sink in it the first time."

He grunts. "Technically…"

Arriving at their destination Zuko fills up the two large bottles of water with clean drinking water. Toph and Zuko splash their face with the water and as Zuko opens his eyes he is sure he sees the image of his Blue Spirit mask but tries to pass it off as his mind playing tricks on him. And sure enough as he blinks the water droplets out of his eyes it disappears as he watches a blue and black toad fish dart away.

"Hello, Sparky? Anyone home?"

"Oh yeah, sorry. Ready to go?"

"I've been ready for ages," she repeats the line she had said earlier overdramatically.

And once again they head in the direction that Toph had insisted on going, racking their brains for a subject to begin a conversation on, which would hopefully last for hours. But no such conversation ensued between the couple.

His heart all of sudden starts thumping wildly. He can't believe it! "Toph. Toph! I see it. I see an opening!"

"What, where?"

"Straight ahead, come on."

But Toph doesn't even need to respond, he has already grasped her hand and they are running. Running to that opening that has finally revealed itself for Zuko and he is waiting for the moment when the sunlight would wash over them in waves.

"Sparky, I don't think there's any opening there. I just feel trees upon trees."

"No, I can see it, Toph. Just a little farther."

"This better not be another joke!" she howls.

Now sprinting to it, Zuko sees the light begin to fade. _Just my imagination, the sun must be moving behind a cloud, _Zuko tells himself optimistically.

Vines start moving together and intertwining together. He stumbles but none the less regains his balance and ignores Toph's cries to slow down. The sunlight has nearly completely gone but he keeps going. Only another 100 metres, it's so close he can nearly touch the sunlight. But the trees are slowly coming together and finally, as he reaches it, it's just a wall of thick bush. He stops abruptly at the wall, heart thumping so loudly Toph's ear drums are nearly bursting.

"It was here…I-I saw it."

Letting Toph's hand drop he thrusts his hand through the bushes and as he peeks through to the other side it's just more endless bush and he knows that they still aren't getting out in a hurry…well at least not this easy.

He turns around to face Toph and slides down into a seated position against the vine wall. Toph sits beside him.

"We will get out of here," she says softly.

"I know. But…I saw it."

"It was just your imagination."

"It was so real. But, if I were to die in here, I wouldn't rather be stuck in here with anyone else. You know that, right?"

"Don't get all sentimental on me, Sparky," she says, but can't keep it hidden that she is touched by the compliment.

He suppresses the urge to reach out and just hold her hand once more but they have to keep moving even though the curtain of night is falling upon them and the show would be over for another night.

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_I have no idea where the title came from! But...it came hehe. Well that was a bit sweet at the end ^^ Thanks to my reviewers! It means a lot to me. I hope I get some new ones to hehe._


	5. Lost and Forgotton Past and Present

**_First of all, I do hope this chapter is not confusing. I don't find confusing personally hehe but of course I don't :) So, enjoy!_**

**_I don't own A V A T A R, period!_

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**Chapter 4: Lost and Forgotten. Past and Present**

As they continue their hike – well if that's what you would call it – in search of the end of this forest, where an opening would finally reveal itself and sunlight would wash over them in waves (that's how Zuko pictured it anyway), Zuko decided to strike up a conversation.

"This forest must be pretty secluded, hey?" he questions to Toph to hear her take on it.

"Mm," is her simple, bored answer.

"Well at least it's nice day, don't you think?"

She huffs and her simple reply is, "From what I can tell, I guess so."

"So, did you, uh, have a suitor in Gaoling?"

Toph turns to Zuko angrily. "I'm not here for small talk, Sparky. I don't even know how we wound up here together, nor _why_ we did."

_Fate? _Zuko questions to himself, but does not dare voice his thoughts. _Wait, why is she 'looking' this way? Is she implying that she wants me to tell her how I got here in this mess? Well, I'd rather not tell her._

Toph keeps her blind eyes hovering over Zuko's figure. In the back of her mind she does this in attempt to intimidate him. At this thought she stifles back a laugh and continues to absentmindedly drag her feet across the twig and leaf-littered ground.

"Uh, hey, look at that, uh, birdrat over there," Zuko points, making a failed attempt at trying to change the subject.

_Success! Score one to Toph!_

"Zuko, one, we are not on some sort of safari tour and two, I'm blind!"

"Oh yeah, I know that," he says trying to save face. _At least she's calling me by my proper name._ He exhales deeply which turns out to be a little overreacted.

"You gonna tell me how you wound up here or not?"

With a 'hmph' sound he begins. "I thought I saw my mum, and my blue Spirit mask, and that's why I'm here, OK? It was like seeing bits of my past that meant so much to me," Zuko says unsurely. "And I guess I just kept venturing in further and wound up in a pool of sand ready to suck me down."

Zuko's eyes glaze over and Toph's voice is distant to him now. He re-enacts the memory in his mind. It is so vivid.

_Insisted by his Uncle to find a certain type of tea leaf, Zuko is bending over a bush and seemed to be studying it when he hears a voice to his right. It called out his name, smoothly and softly. An angel's voice that you couldn't stop listening to, that you just had to follow the sound of._

_He got up from his crouched position and stared at his…mum…or a spirit of his mum. Ursa. She turned and began walking away when she had his attention. He screamed at her to come back but she kept getting further and further away. He started running after her at top knot speed calling out 'mum'; questions that he wanted to ask her running through his mind. And as his foot splashed in a shallow pool of water she was gone, out of sight. He slowly looked down at his reflection in the now stilling pool of water to see his Blue Spirit mask staring back up at him._

_As he darted his hand into the water, like a pelican eagle swooping down quickly to grab its prey from the water, to retrieve his mask, the only thing he felt was sand mixed with dirt. Reaching back out he realised the image of his mask was only on the surface of the water, and its image was now blurred due to the sudden rippling of the water. And eventually it had disappeared still quivering. He had lost his mum again. To this day he has never forgiven himself for not paying attention when Ursa kissed him goodbye that fateful night._

_Zuko looked away his eyes full of tears and as he stepped out of the water he wasn't stepping on hard ground, he stepped in quicksand that instantly pulled down his feet and eventually his legs in the struggle._

"Well lucky I couldn't see any crazy stuff," Toph finally says, snapping Zuko back into reality.

He swiftly wipes his eyes with the heel of his hand and asks, "How did you get lost in here?"

"I actually _heard_ something from my past. My parents speaking," Toph tells him, her voice quavering slightly.

"Oh."

And with that it slips Toph into her memory burnt into her mind.

"_Why can't you just treat me like your daughter?! Why can't you accept me as a normal girl?" Toph screamed at her parents too upset to care what she said._

_She ran out of her large house and ended up outside of its gate. Still too upset and angry to care where she was going she earthbended her way to the ferries that took her directly to the Fire Nation._

_She sauntered around its streets and came across the outskirts of a forest and it was then that she heard the voices of her parents._

"_Toph, darling, we're sorry. Please come back home."_

"_Mother? How did you get here? Did you follow me?"_

"_We're sorry. We promise to treat you like a normal girl. Like our daughter. Just please come back home."_

_Toph could feel vibrations. She could feel the steady heartbeats of both her parents and the truth in their tone. She hiked partway through the forest, branches hitting her in the face and twigs scratching her legs but they were simply pushed to the side. _

"_Mum, where are you?"_

"_Over here, darling," the voice called in front of her._

_Toph still determined that her mum was telling the truth ventured in further. "I can't-"_

_She tripped over a loose vine that had worked its way along the ground and was hugging a tree tightly. She got up and as Toph turned around all she felt was sharp twigs digging into her and she knew she couldn't get back through and she began to panic. _

_A wall of vines, branches and leaves had formed a wall behind her and she ran along its edge trying to find a way through but to no avail. Eventually, she called out to her mum again but there was no answer._

_She sighed and decided that her parents really weren't sorry and really weren't there. The heartbeats and footsteps had ceased and she was left to trudge through the forest with no aid until she heard a voice call in distress and she smirked knowing full well whose voice it belonged to._

Toph blinks her eyes furiously until the tears are gone but at the same time forces back a smile. She notices that she has been in her own world for a quite a while but Zuko had walked in utter silence. It continues like this for a long part of their walk through the scrub to find anything or anyone…as long that anyone was not trying to kill them.

"There they are!"

"W-what? Who?" Toph whispers hastily.

She quickly transitions into her bending stance feeling for any vibrations surrounding them.

"Oh, it's no one. It's just tea leaves," he explains a little awkwardly and quietly. "See the whole reason why I'm _actually_ lost out here is because Uncle originally sent me out to find some tea leaves. So if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have seen my mum and my mask and you know the rest. Pretty stupid huh?"

_Uncle seems to be the all-knowing 'everything happens for a reason' guy._

"Not as stupid as why I'm out here. There was a reason I was out here in the first place."

He looks at her expectantly and waits for her to continue. Realising she can't see his facial expression he prompts, "Why's that?"

"I ran away from home…again."

"Oh. But if you heard your parent's voices, isn't that like hearing them in the present?"

"Well yeah, I guess. But that's beside the point, it obviously lead me in here for a reason. But they were nice to me, they promised me things and I thought they really meant it. They weren't lying! But…it wasn't even them."

He grants her a sympathetic smile despite her being blind as he can't find any words to say as comfort.

**

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**

_**Good, bad or the ugly? Whatever you reckon you can press the button just below, as each click keeps her (yep, female) warm at night.**_


	6. Don't Look Down!

**Chapter 6: Don't Look Down!**

The duo approach a bridge slowly and Zuko instantly realises it is the only way to the other side from what he can see. Toph, who hadn't been concentrating on the ground less than a step in front of her, plants one foot on the bridge before quickly recoiling and stepping backward.

"Oh sorry, Toph. There's a wooden bridge there."

"Way to spot the obvious, Sparky," she retorts sarcastically.

With a roll of her eyes she tentatively replaces her foot back onto it, trusting that Zuko will give her a heads up if she nears its the edge.

They walk along a few metres casually but before Toph can continue on she feels two muscular arms wrap around her waist. She notices that half her foot had just been hung over the edge and was inches away from her death. Zuko pulls her back into the middle of the bridge wordlessly and she hears him breathe a sigh of relief.

"Way to go, Sparky. You were a bit slow."

"Yeah sorry, I was thinking."

"I told you you were going crazy Fire Lord Zuko," a man comments. Zuko looks up and gasps as Toph transitions into her stance before remember she can't bend. "You're girlfriend was about to go splat into the water...on the rocks if you were lucky, and I was looking forward to it." Zuko watches in disgust as he uses hand gestures and noises to show how Toph would've fallen off the bridge and into the water shrouded by rocks for emphasis.

The leader, Morio, and his gang fully reveal themselves greeted by scowls.

They creep forward slowly. "Surprised to see me again are we?" Without warning, Morio takes a leap and is suddenly standing behind Toph holding her at knife point.

He smirks at Zuko's shocked expression. "I know my way around this forest much better than any of you peasants do. It _is _our territory after all."

Zuko growls at being called a title of such low rank. He dare call Zuko a peasant and hold Toph at knife point? not on his watch.

"Let her go," Zuko demands darkly, eyes gazing fixedly on Morio's.

There is a short pause as if the man is waiting for Zuko to say more and finally he laughs. "Is that it? 'Let her go'. Zuko, you've lost your touch. And remember you're in no position for bargaining." Morio waggles a finger in front of him, tightening the grip on his knife.

Zuko steps toward them and Morio now seems to tighten his hold on Toph. "Not another step all the girl dies."

"Fine." Zuko raises his hands up in surrender. "You let go of Toph and I'll come with you willingly."

"No, Zuko! Don't!" Toph calls in protest.

Zuko ignores her plead and gives a small nod toward the burly man. Another man grabs Zuko and he is held without a struggle.

Keeping his part of the deal, Morio releases the youth and pushes her forward. Losing her balance she stumbles pathetically, ending up suspended on the edge of the bridge just as before. Time seems to slow down for Zuko, minutes become seconds, as he watches helplessly as Toph balances on the edge of the ages bridge with no idea what is going on before falling head first over the edge. There is nothing he can do; she's gone, so quickly.

"TOPH!" he screams trying to break loose from the man's hold but to no avail.

He releases fire from his mouth in desperation and anger, a morbid sensation washing over him.

"Oops," Mario lets out mockingly.

Zuko lashes out against the man now standing in front of him but is now held back by two figures. Tears begin to roll down his cheeks. "Toph," he whispers.

"Too late, she's gone," he says coldly with a hint of contentment.

_Will this forest ever show us mercy? _This time Zuko can't possibly say, let alone think the words, 'everything happens for a reason'. Because this, this has gone too far, and there can't be any possible reason on the face of the earth for this.

Eyes full of hatred and resentment Zuko releases fire from his mouth for a second time but the man is too quick an easily dodges it.

"You'll have to do better than that."

_I am the nephew of the Dragon of the West. I can do this for him…and for Toph. _Zuko with a tear streamed face stares at the place where Toph had just been, hoping, wishing, that she would reappear again. If only. One more time so that he could see her face and listen to her arrogant voice. He feels so forlorn and shaken…there is nothing he can do.

The man slowly walks over to the place where she had slipped over the edge in that sudden moment to effectively rub it in the Fire Lord's face. Morio's heavy metal boots make a clunking noise with each slow step he takes. He looks over the edge as if to confirm to himself Toph is gone. But as he looks down he sees something, a figure that he can barely make out but it seems to be…waving up at him? She wears a grin and the man growls loudly. Who else could it possibly be…

Zuko looks up suddenly from his downcast position, studying the man's expression to see what it depicts. Still a slight glimpse of triumph beams through, but the majority of his demeanor is made up of frustration and anger…failure and embarrassment even.

"Toph…" Zuko says aloud to himself, not believing that she is - that she can possibly be - still alive. He doesn't need anyone to tell him to know that she is still breathing…Morio's face says it all.

_Everything _does _happen for a reason. _He smiles widely but his smile is soon wiped off his face when he is punched in the cheek and he spits out blood.

"She won't survive anyway, that rapid will take her away in seconds," he spits. "Come on, let's get out of here. We have the Fire Lord, and that's all we need. We'll make sure you have a more dignified death." Although his tone remains harsh and pompous he has definitely been moved by the sight of the still alive earthbender. How could she still be alive…still be waving for Agni's sake?!

As Zuko is held firmly by the arms, he realises his legs are nearly mobile as the other man has predominately released his grip. He kicks them both backward against the knees of the man holding him. He releases his grip on Zuko and he breaks free falling face first on the bridge. But before he can get back on his feet, the aging wood beneath him gives way and he falls through a now human-sized hole formed in the centre of the bridge.

Zuko manages to snag the rim of the hole with his fingertips. Attempting to keep his legs still he panics and can't think straight. But two questions are running rapidly through his mind on repeat. Does he drop to his death? Or does he continue on his way with Morio and his gang to die?

As pure instinct he quickly begins getting a better grip of the bridge. In such a situation did he really need to mull the two questions over? Whichever one he chose resulted in his death, but going into its depths, falling would be a better option purely so that Morio did no have that satisfaction.

But it seems Morio has already made the decision for him. His foot is already lifted and is coming down onto his fingers instantaneous with Zuko's thoughts. Everything is happening too fast, but Zuko still manages to feel the aspects of pain in all forms when the metal-soled boot slams down with full force on his fingers. Zuko stifles back a scream and lets his left hand slip off the splintered end. He lets it hang loosely by his side letting the blood to rush to the tips of his fingers.

He can't put up with anymore pain. Not anymore. Just as the burly man is about to slam his foot down on Zuko's right hand he closes his eyes and reluctantly lets go. The wind grabs him straight away, clinging to his clothes, facial features and exposed skin, and finally no feeling resides in him. All he can do is think logically with the sophisticated and most well-know thought…_Don't look down!_

_Crap, I look__ed down…_

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:_D Silly Zuko. Hehe, anyway, I do want to apologise for not updating because, well, it was entirely my fault. I just kept on forgetting, oops...  
But, here it is, above, if for some reason you're reading this A/N first...lol, well for those who have read through to the bottom I hope it is to your liking! If not, don't hesitate to inform me._ _And, once again thank you to my reviewers. :) Deeply appreciated._


	7. To Live A Lie And Face Its Consequences

_Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar! If you say I do, I'll eat you, rah!_

_FYI (that sounds so terribly snooty): In case you have forgotten, in the previous scene Zuko was falling to his death, and to make it better he looked down, and Iroh was drinking tea whilst Sokka fell into another hole...OK, well, maybe those last things were happening?! Who knows? Enjoy!_

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**Chapter 6: To Live A Lie And Face Its Consequences**

_I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die._

Before he can drop even a couple of metres though, a platform constructed from rock is placed safely underneath him but he keeps on falling. Although, when he lands in the water in seconds he still lays safely on the stable platform.

_I'm alive! I don't believe it! How can I possible keep bouncing back? Easy…Toph. She's a mysterious child. How on earth she manages to continuously save my life is beyond me, but I'm alive so everything is fine._

Getting his breath back, his throbbing and swollen fingers forgotten, he turns to find Toph smiling as she sits on a rock in the middle of the rapid river. "Waterfall!" Zuko screams suddenly.

"WHAT? Zuko!"

She hears chuckling.

_For a guy who seldom jokes, he really had me going for a second there. _"What was that for?"

"I thought I'd lighten the mood," he shrugs.

"Why on earth would you want to do that now out of all times?!" she screams.

"Because Toph, my friend, life is good. Now, how do we get out of this? My bit of land here is at the moment being forced against a rock, and I'm not sure how long it's going to last."

"Guide me to where you are."

"OK, if you were to move left a metre and go straight for a few more metres that's where I am," he explains confusedly.

Jumping up onto the rock in a standing position she steadies herself. She constructs a landing creating a bridge between Zuko and land and he smiles gratefully, walking across it. She does the same for herself and meets Zuko on safe land.

"You must be freezing."

She shrugs.

"You're going to get sick aren't you?"

_Probably._

"No, I don't get sick."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Why do you keep worrying about me?"

At this Zuko remains silent and they look at their not so different surroundings. Just the same as before, trees, greens, browns, leaves…the usual.

With Toph's clothes weighing her down, the water droplets dripping off her and the effort she had previously put in, she resorts to sprawling out on the ground exhausted and Zuko soon joins her happily. Chest heaving, Zuko looks toward the bridge where he can vaguely see the hole he had made, only a small dot from where he is. He squints to see if he can see any figures standing up there, but he can't see anyone.

Wondering if the rebels know a quick way down there he stands up and faces Toph. "I'll dry your clothes for you," Zuko offers. "But, uh, I might burn you…"

"So, what are you saying?"

"That if you take them off I can dry them." He winces, expecting to be hit…hard.

Toph's eyes widen to the size of saucers and looks in the direction of Zuko and huffs. "Fine."

Toph gets up and begins weaving through the trees.

"What are you doing? Wait up!"

But she doesn't respond.

After half a minute of searching amongst the trees Toph finds what she's been looking for.

"OK, this tree looks big enough." She spins around and faces Zuko pointing a finger at his chest. "Sparky, I'm going behind this tree and I'm going to give you my clothes and you're going to dry them and give them back to me. Nothing more, nothing less, no loopholes. Got it?"

He swallows. "OK."

She nods and hides behind the large tree and seconds later Zuko is hit in the face by her clothing. He puts his right hand underneath them suspecting most of his bones in his fingers are broken on his left hand and slowly raises his body heat and then he notices something. He lifts up her green clothing and still lying over his palm is…her undergarments, and he blushes. _I didn't think she was going to take _them_ off to!_

As quickly as he can he dries her clothing off using one hand and his firebending.

"Hurry up!"

He thrusts an arm around the tree's trunk with Toph's traditional earth kingdom clothing and undergarments in hand. She snatches them from him and gets changed. Zuko's pulse slows down and his breathing becomes equal. The thought of knowing that Toph was standing only a foot away naked was quite a different one to him.

Seconds later, Toph reveals herself from behind the large tree wearing her now dry clothing, her rich, black hair hanging loosely around her shoulders in an attempt to dry it and a scowl plastered on her face to top it off.

"Are you feeling OK because you don't look it?" Zuko asks Toph worrisome.

"I'm fine, Sparky. Stop worrying!" she reassures him angrily.

He rolls his eyes and without another word they set off again in silence.

Paying attention to every step she takes, Toph notices a stray vine along the ground and easily manoeuvres it but bumping into Zuko in the process.

"Ow," he cries out in pain.

"What now?" Toph asks irritably. "I didn't hit you that hard."

"It's my hand."

"What exactly happened up there?" she inquires suspiciously.

Zuko recounts what happened after she had fell up until the metal-soled boot breaking his fingers. She shows a sympathetic expression.

"What happened with you? I was sure you had been hurt badly or worse."

"Pssh, not me, Sparky. They're gonna have to try a lot harder to take me down. See lucky it was me and not you that fell first because I was able to bend the rocks from below and make a platform underneath me to. But it was hard work and I didn't know when I was going to hit the water. And when I finally did the rock broke and I managed to hold onto another one. And I was sure you used it as a distraction and so I waved up toward the bridge hoping you'd see I was OK." She grinned.

Zuko starts laughing. "You waved! So that's what he saw," Zuko says aloud to himself more than to Toph. "It didn't act as a distraction to the men at all though; they kept a tight grip on me but the man looked over the edge of the bridge right after you had fallen and he looked really angry. And when I saw his expression I couldn't help but smile. And now I know what happened."

"Sparky, the pack!"

"The what?"

"The pack with our supplies."

"Oh, that thing. Well uh, in short, it got…lost. Do you see it with me?"

She brings a hand to her forehead and drags it down her face, messing up her facial traits momentarily.

They continue walking in silence as the blanket of night passes over the forest. The moon illuminates a small amount of light for them to see, but the trees seem to obscure a majority of it. Seeing a small clearing ahead Zuko decides to set up camp there for the night. He turns around and waits for Toph who has been continuously lagging behind sneezing. "Toph, you're not well." _And at this rate we're not going to get far._

"I'm fine, Sparky! For the love of Yue, stop asking-" she broke down into a coughing fit and Zuko ran back over to her and put her arm around his shoulders.

The wind blew fiercely and he knew they were going to be in for another cold and uncomfortable night.

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_Yep, it's been a week, and I really am truly sorry. Exams are around the corner and yadda yadda. No one wants to hear me, they just want to drop a review hehe. Have a good morning/day/night :D_


	8. Abandon Ship

_One thousand sorrys (sorries?) to all reading whom have been forever waiting for this chapter. Studying got the better of me...a lot of good it did for certain subjects. But it's the weekend and I only have one to go phew. So saddle up for a not so riveting chapter._

_Disclaimer: Don't own at all!_

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**Chapter 7: Abandon Ship**

Morning dawns on the duo and Zuko wakes with the sun, the sudden pain in his hand is the first thing to strike him and he bites his lip, hard.

Zuko shakes Toph awake, hoping to set off early to catch up on lost time. He notices beads of sweat streaming down her forehead as she awakens. She begins to shiver and sneeze.

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm boiling! Why would I be sweating?" There is no sarcasm evident in her tone, she is more mumbling it than anything. As she says this she wipes the perspiration off the top of her forehead.

"Are you right to get moving?"

Diminishing all of her rock hard attitude she replies, "No, I don't think so. I haven't got any energy."

Zuko notices that her voice is croaky and nasally due to her blocked up nose.

"Do you think you have enough strength to pull down this earth tent?"

With a soundless reply she manages to get rid of half of it and he sighs. "Come on, let's get you up."

Zuko slides his good hand underneath her back and helps pull her up. She is wobbly on her feet and he crouches down. "Hop on."

Toph scrambles up his back and wraps her arms around his neck and her legs around his chest. As she lays her head against the back of his shoulder he begins the tired walk to nowhere.

"Do you think you could walk for a while, you're getting a tad heavy?" Zuko asks the girl clinging to his back after two hours of non-stop walking.

But the only response he receives is that of snoring, telling him that she is fast asleep. Not wanting to wake her he continues without complaint. Although, it lets his mind wander once again. With his legs aching, ready to give way from underneath him, sweat pouring off his head (lucky it had gotten colder and he could've swore he began to feel small drops of rain hitting his skin) and not having any water or beverages for hours now, it lead to him wondering if they were ever going to get out of here alive.

_Everything does happen for a reason, Zuko. And maybe there is a perfectly good reason why fate brought me and Toph together to die and never be __found. Maybe it'll turn out as a better world from our sacrifice…but that's hard for me to believe._

He readjusts the sleeping figure against his back awkwardly with one hand struggling up the hill. But as soon as he reaches the top the trees fall away and it's a solid clearing straight ahead, though he thinks nothing of it. Just like the rest of them where the trees become scarce for a while and everything thins out until they go back under the shelter of them.

But as he comes further and further away from the protective trees he feels vulnerable until he notices a house, more like a cabin or hut, a good hundred metres away, surrounded in long, unkempt grass. With his final ounce of strength he makes his way through the long grass toward the cabin, now adoring the idea of a rest.

The small drops of water he thought he may have imagined turns into pouring rain that starts to come down heavily. But he didn't take too much notice of it and by the looks of things neither did Toph in whom awoke for a second before Zuko insisted that she go back to sleep in which she obliged to without complaint. Zuko just remained focusing his sights on reaching the inviting, little cottage not too far away. Not too long now, Zuko. Not too long.

To Zuko it looks inhabited, but he can't be sure. It's made from bricks coloured with different shades of brown with a wooden roof that looks as if termite ticks has eaten holes throughout it and the slightest touch will cause it to crumple to the ground.

He knocks softly on the wooden door not expecting anyone to answer, in which his assumption proves correct. It doesn't take much for him to push it open, but as soon as he does he steps back over the threshold when a cloud of dust hits him in the face and he tries not to double over as he coughs. Maybe no one did live here…

As the dust settles he walks in and immediately notices a bed in the corner - its white sheets amazingly not discoloured, but still as white as it would've been when first bought.

He turns around and bends down against the bed unloading Toph carefully. She doesn't protest; the teenager remains in her slumber. Zuko feels her forehead with the back of his hand, which is undoubtedly burning up. He leaves the blankets off her body and lets her sleep atop of them peacefully.

Zuko scours the cabin thoroughly. He dares not take any food considering the best before dates have expired many months or years ago, whatever the case may be. Opening and closing cupboards and drawers, eyes still darting in the direction of the door and the only small, dirty window in case of an intruder like themselves, or the owner of the cabin, he finds what he has been looking for. A map! Now they can finally get out of the Agni forsaken forest, inhabited by people who are determined to kill Fire Lord Zuko.

Finding a wooden chair tucked beneath a table he sits down and unfurls the map out onto the table top. He pores over it until he comes across the edge of the forest where he had entered from. Tracing his finger across the map he follows an imaginary line until his finger lands on a tiny dot resembling the cabin he is now occupying. Furrowing his eyebrows he comes to a conclusion that the quickest way out is to head toward the Southern Water Tribe. That way Katara can heal his hand while his there. Sounds like a plan.

Zuko looks toward Toph who is now beginning to sweat again. Looking around for some sort of rag, but finding none, he rips off a piece of his shirt and soaks it in water from the sink, which to his surprise works. He wrings it out with his good hand and walks over to Toph, placing it on her head gently and patting it down.

Then finally it occurs to him, _there must be a bathroom here._

Opening the only other door in the cabin besides the front and back ones he slips in and to his relief he finds a perfectly clean toilet.

Coming back out less than a couple of minutes later he stares back out the window and there he sees an old lady. She carries a basket and is coming straight toward the cabin. Now two scenarios run through Zuko's mind. One, he wakes up Toph and they slip out of the back door and no ones the wiser, or two, they wait around for the woman and he lets Toph sleep. But, for all Zuko knows she could be in league with Morio and it could all be an ingenious trap.

The usual innocent old lady who needs help from a man, and then as Zuko helps her she drapes a net over his head and he is ambushed by a bunch of men.

So there is only one thing for Zuko to do, and that is to wake up Toph and get the Agni out of there.

"Toph!" He shakes her awake and the damp torn piece of his shirt falls off her head. "There is someone coming, we need to get out of here. Can you walk?"

Sitting up and climbing off the bed she nods. "Where are we?"

"Never mind that. She's about fifty metres from-"

There is a definite noise from outside the front door and Toph whispers, "It's the crazy lady."

"The who?"

The door flies open and the old woman stares at them in shock.

With only one thing on Zuko's mind, which is that they are going to get ambushed by a group of men, he takes Toph's hand and flies out the back door fleeing from the 'crazy lady' and her supposed home. They sprint, then they slow down to a jog and finally out of breath, and far far away from the 'crazy lady's' cabin, they walk.

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_Little random...but that's me :D You'll find out who it is, she won't come back into it._


	9. To Find The End Of A Circle

**Chapter 8: To Find The End Of A Circle**

"OK, what just happened?" Zuko asks bewildered, and as he says this Toph's knees fall weak and she drops to the ground. But Zuko catches her just in time.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have made you run that far."

"It's OK," she replies breathlessly. "That woman back there, she's the one who taught Katara to blood bend."

"Oh, I knew there was something wrong about her! Sokka told me about that story."

"And I'm sure he overreacted it ten fold and made himself out to be the saviour?"

There's a pause.

"That's what I thought." Toph says knowingly.

"OK well never mind that now. I found a map!"

"Please tell me you're better at reading maps than Sokka?" She laughs despite herself half-heartedly as she still hasn't fully regained her energy.

"Toph, anyone can read a map better than Sokka. Even you could, and that's saying something." He grins. "So how are you feeling now?"

"Better, but not great. I think that run didn't do any help. But thanks for everything, the carrying and what not."

"It's fine, really. You wouldn't have made it two steps without me."

"I probably wouldn't even be feeling like this without you." She smirks.

"Whatever. You would've been killed by that Morio guy if I didn't save you on that bridge."

"Save me?!" She lets out a breath. "I saved myself! Anyway, moving back from that you would've been still stuck in quicksand if it wasn't for me! Then you would've died from starvation."

"Well, uh…how did we get onto this conversation?"

"…I have no idea."

"OK, well let's just say without each other we'd be dead. Deal?"

"Deal…except I probably still would've been alive."

"No way! You can't just agree and then change it in the same sentence."

"I just did."

"Hmph."

"Aw poor baby can't take it that a girl is more fit than him to keep alive in a forest."

He rolls his eyes. "Fine, I guess you can walk by yourself then if you have enough energy to argue with me over that." He smiles proudly to himself.

"Well as you can plainly see I'm so out of energy," she retorts sarcastically but Zuko seems to miss the sarcasm.

"Fine," she replies with the utmost haughty tone she could muster.

_Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot._

Over and over again. Once again every tree seeming to be an exact replica of the last. Sometimes Zuko wished he was blind so he didn't have to concentrate on the blur of greens and browns they were constantly passing. It is extremely boring.

He knew they'd eventually pass all this and reach the Water Tribal area. But when? He wasn't sure.

But secretly he had to admit, despite the dull, reduplication of the colours and elements, he never really noticed before how beautiful and tranquil this forest really is. He guesses he just got caught up in the whole 'Oh no we're lost how will we get out' pandemonium that he never stopped and looked. Just like the dim hues of the moonlight glistening elegantly on Toph's features…But this is not the time to pay attention for the Fire Lord to be admiring this…admiring her beauty. He really did need to focus back on the 'Oh no we're lost…' pandemonium. Because honestly, he didn't how long he could stay in there for, even if in its own way is was beautiful.

If he didn't have Toph by his side he would surely have gone insane and began cursing his Uncle…but that'll have to wait until he gets home, for now Zuko need to lead them both out of there.

He feels constricted in the confines of this unknown forest. He is always constantly keeping a sharp eye out for any attackers. Of course he knows Toph can sense them from a mile away, but even so, he still feels the need just in case. He can't help it; he was always on the alert in the midst of the war.

He sneaks a sidelong glance at her, and knows she is slightly struggling to keep up with his pace. But he figures she is getting over her sickness; he would not give in to offer his help. Must have just been a 24-hour or so flu he decides.

But none the less he feels the urge to just reach out and take her delicate hand in his and hold it tight, to tell her they are going to get out of here. But deep inside of him he knows that half the reason for doing that is because he needs to prove it to himself, to tell himself that they _will _get out of here. For her to reassure him that they will.

If only he could reach out for comfort. To comfort each other and talk about the old days.

He wonders what will happen to them both when they get out of here. Will they spend time with each other knowing what it was like being apart for so little time? Or will their worlds slowly drift apart once again.

"Not again," Toph interrupts his thoughts.

"What?" He inquires, not really paying attention.

"None other but a pack of sabre-tooth Moose-lions are coming our way. Just great, that's all we need."

He is suddenly interested and wary. "Are they close?"

"They will be shortly. But why they are in this forest I don't know. They are only in the Southern parts of the Earth Kingdom. Unless you read the map wrong and we have done a loop and come straight back to the place I want to be as far away as possible from..."

"I guarantee you that I did not read the map-"

"JUMP!"

Zuko with a look of pure confusion doesn't question it and jumps up, grabbing onto the branch above him just as he hears a rumbling sound coming toward him. As soon as he catches sight of the so called sabre-tooth Moose-Lions he immediately swings his legs up onto the branch and clings onto it for dear life.

Looking like he is impersonating a Hog Monkey he looks around for Toph expecting her to be seated safely on the branch next to him but is not. He immediately begins to panic and looks down upon the herd of sabre-tooth Moose-Lions still stampeding beneath him.

Zuko expects the worse. _But she warned me to jump. Why would she not move herself? Please don't be caught up by those creatures. I would never forgive myself if you were trampled by a pack of them. Please be OK._

When the stampede has finally passed he instantaneously jumps down and rushes along the track the Moose-Lions had previously made as if chasing after them, looking for the figure of Toph. In the back of his mind he hopes that he doesn't find her. That she is riding on the back of one of the Moose-Lions - that are already too far gone - laughing wildly as he scours the land, and soon she'll return to him. He doesn't want to see her body strewn out in front of him.

It'll just be like his near death in the quick sand…well that's how he saw it. This would be another simple death. An embarrassing one. She would've absolutely pounded Zuko if she knew he was going to let her die pathetically like that. Her dream would be to die in the war, defending her nation around her friends…not to be trampled. No, not like this.

She had been through a war, and she was going to die from being trampled. It just wasn't right.

A tear begins to slide down his cheek as he stares along the path with no sign of her petite figure. He gives up on running, he doesn't have the strength. She is nowhere to be found. And it is now that the worse he had feared may actually be true, that she is strewn out, dead, metres away just beyond his line of sight.

He rests his head in his hands and bites his lip, daring not to cry. But he has a right to! No one is going to know. He doesn't care anymore. Fire Lord or no Fire Lord, he wasn't going to hide behind his mask.

Zuko calls out her name half-heartedly one last time expecting no such response.

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_Naw, what an unhappy ending. I'm ashamed to say it, but I've been very much uninterested in fanfiction lately. I have no idea why. But I have been piled down with assignments. They couldn't wait to give us more work after exams. Hopefully as my holidays come round I'll come on more and be more interested (it's a strong possibilty). So, for those who are still reading, thank you. It means a lot to me. Though, as I have moved on through my time in fanfiction I've learnt that reviews aren't everything :) It's good to write something and know that it's gone to some use...filling up space on the internet hehe. So, if someone is reading, well, I guess it fills my heart with joy! Cyas!_


	10. Just Me Believe Me

**Chapter 9: Just Me. Believe Me.**

"That's my name, Sparky. Wait…are you crying? The great Fire Lord Zuko, crying?" She laughs loudly and Zuko quickly regains himself.

"Toph," he breathes. Ignoring her last comment he says with no trace of being upset previously, "I was trying to find you so we could get moving. Now come on."

But she doesn't move. "You thought I had gotten caught up in that, didn't you?" she accuses quietly. "Why? Because I'm blind?" she questions before he can respond, purposefully emphasising the last word. She doesn't hide the melancholy and anger in her tone.

The Bandit turns and storms off…where? She doesn't know. But what she does know is that it's in the opposite direction to _him_. _It's my parents all over again. I can't handle this!_

He is unable answer.

_It just goes from bad to good and back to bad again._

"I…That wasn't the reason. That's not what I meant at all!"

She lets out a 'pff' sound and turns to walk away…again.

"Why do you keep doing this to yourself…to me?" Zuko questions in a small voice just so she can hear.

"That's all you ever care about – yourself. You said it yourself before that you didn't choose to be here."

"I didn't-"

"Oh you didn't have to say it in words! I'm not stupid Fire Lord! You don't want to die in here with me!"

Zuko was taken aback by her words, she had shouted at him so loudly he wouldn't be surprised if his Uncle hadn't heard her. But most of all, she had showed emotion. A lot of it. This was not like her, and he was scared that she may really be angry and upset at him for a long period time. She began picking up her pace.

"But I do! I said it before that I rather you than anyone, and I meant every word I said."

He notices her slow slightly, only by a fraction, but he knows he has her attention. She listens carefully to his sincere words. "You really want to know? Well this is going to sound so stupid but...but for some crazy reason I think that fate has lead me here to guide you or protect you or something. I know you can hold your own. You should know out of everyone that I know that! But I need…want to protect you, fate or not." He pauses hoping for Toph to see sense and stop running. "Happy?" he calls after her breathlessly.

Zuko already slows down and relief washes over him when the earthbender comes to a stand still and turns. Looking up from his doubled over position he finishes quietly, "Yes, Toph, you know I didn't choose to wind up here. It wasn't my intention to get lost and find you. But something just doesn't fit. It's too coincidental for my liking." He replaces his hands at the top of his legs and furrows his eyebrows in attempt to find a reasonable explanation without any success, looking to the ground as if it's the most interesting object in the forest.

He draws in a breath noticing Toph hasn't spoken and looks up meeting her gaze looking straight passed him, as if she's looking through him. Seeing nothing. But deep inside he knows she really does see something. Something more than appearance and colours. She definitely sees it inside herself, otherwise she wouldn't have stopped.

Toph tries to sense if he's lying, he can't have honestly been telling the truth! So she tries to make excuses…

"Only because you have nobody else," she says darkly and distinctively realises that has hit a nerve. "Sorry." Looking away from him she slumps down to the ground against an Oak tree. "I didn't mean that."

"Yeah…you did. But I do have you, and that's what matters to me. I don't need servants and people tending to my every need. I don't even need my father or my sister, or my mother. Just you."

Toph still looks guilty about what she said and Zuko frowns. "Let's just forget it."

"No, I am sorry, you have plenty people in your life who love you. Not just me. And they are your friends…your family."

He smiles and reaches down for her hand, lifting her with ease to her feet. "And so are you."

She forgets to hide her smile, let alone wipe the tears from her cheeks.

There is a pause and not knowing what has come over him, Zuko laughs.

"Did you know that this whole fiasco has been filled with us fighting and crying over petty things then making up again? All we have done since we met each other in here is fight."

"Yeah you're right, and it's not going to end either. You wouldn't believe it but it was pretty dirty underground you know." She fakes a cough, smirking. "Ready to keep-"

"Woah, Sparky, what are you doing? Put me down!"

He places her back on the ground gently and kisses her forehead softly.

He says in a strangled voice, "Toph, do not, I repeat, do not ever do that again!"

"What'd I do this time? And I knew you were crying."

"Toph, you stupid idiot!"

Gratuitously she closes the foot gap between them and embraces him with gratitude tightly. "What's that for?"

"For treating me how I want to be treated." She quickly retreats from her embrace. "Don't ever tell anyone I did that, Sparky, or I will earthbend you to the time of the Air Bisons," she reprimands.

He smiles down at her and lets out a low chuckle. "And for a second there I thought you had turned all nicey nice on me," he says mockingly.

She loads her arm up to punch him so he quickly saves himself from a bruised arm, "Whoever said you would turn nicey nice? Definitely not me, but whoever it was will feel my wrath." He finishes with a smirk.


	11. What Goes Down, Must Come Up

**Chapter 10: What Goes Down Must Come Up**

The forest had originally begun as a heavy terrain and has now transitioned its density to a sporadic terrain, and eventually there is not even an occasional tree planted around the place. The mercury Zuko has noticed has slowly been descending as their walk persists. If he hadn't seen that map he would one extremely curious teenager as to why the temperature at the least had changed so dramatically from the humidity to the wintry days and nights.

He sees thick mist building up in the distance and Zuko raises an eyebrow becoming aware that they are nearing the Water Tribal area.

"Sparky, this may sound a little crazy but the earth disappears when we get over this hill."

"Disappears? It can't just disappear."

She shrugs in a way that says 'I'm only telling you what my feet are telling me'.

He desperately squints through the mist but all his eyes can distinguish is the abrupt end of dirt to snow.

They near the top of the hill and as Zuko peeks over the top an image of a perfect ice platform is displayed in front of them. He stares out over the landscape of pure white as if he's staring at a photo shopped picture. It doesn't look real. It's too perfectly smooth to be real. He has never seen white so pure.

"Toph, I may need to piggy back you again?"

"Why, what's going on?"

"Well we are about to step onto a block of ice. I really big block of ice! Although, I'm afraid that it might be too much weight on the ice."

She bites her lip. "Could I wear your socks?"

"Sure." He pulls of his boots and takes of his socks. Before passing them to Toph he inconspicuously smells them and recoils. "Are you sure you don't want me to piggy back you?"

"No, I'm not out of energy I can walk. Plus I don't want to fall through the ice, because that'll be the end of me," she retorts.

He places the socks in her hands and she pulls them over her feet as Zuko pulls his boots back on.

"Ready?" he asks.

"As I'll ever be. But are you sure that this is safe?"

There is a short pause. "To tell you the truth, no. But it's a risk we've got to take because frankly I can't find any way out of this Yue forsaken place…unless you'd rather find the rebels ask them?"

"I'll pass. Ice it is."

Wordlessly they begin their journey across the ice knowing full well that was their only decision and frankly had no but to cross the iced over lake…more like ocean.

After a good hour of the occasional small talk Zuko's eyes are now adjusted to the glare off the ice from the sunlight's rays. They are both now aimlessly walking in what they hope is a straight line toward the Southern Water Tribe. Toph would occasionally (and accidentally of course) bump into Zuko when she began veering off to the right, but he kept her straight, she could not see a thing through her feet if her life depended on it. If they were to slowly veer off to the left or right they were sure to be stuck out there forever.

Now Zuko and Toph honestly hadn't been lost in the woods for that long but regardless they were only content to know that they only had cross this bit of ice to reach their destination. They would see their friends and at least have some proper, warm food to devour.

Of course they missed those closest to them…which in retrospect was definitely not considered their family. Except Iroh was always on Zuko's mind if he wasn't thinking of Toph. He was the only family that he wouldn't gag when thinking about them. Yet of course if he was imagining his Uncle with a women, or in the shower, or…OK, why would he even be thinking about that? But the two hadn't mentioned their family since the talk they had had days back. They figured it was a touchy subject to be talking about in such circumstances, so they kept their mouths shut. So their minds wandered to their friends who would by now have gotten word they had not returned home in days.

And throughout all the worrying and what not, they both still managed to think about each other. Yes, they thought about making each other was safe and each other's comfort. But they thought about each other in much different ways. Toph had undoubtedly noticed Zuko's heartbeat quickening pace when they got close or even when he racked his brain to talk to her just so he could hear her voice, to know she was there beside him.

Toph all of sudden slips on the ice and Zuko catches her before she can have a very sore behind. And this is one of those times when Toph would feel his hearteat race. But she didn't have her earth for that now, but it didn't take a genius to know it was…and she knew hers was too. He holds her hand and they stay like that for a long part of their walk.

As they do Toph thinks about how Sokka would be coming up with all sorts of scenarios of the two. She reminds herself to ask everyone later what Sokka thought had happened to them. She was due for a laugh.

Now as the 'small talk' continues, amongst all of it is the question Zuko thought Toph had forgotten. But since when has Toph forgotten anything?

She angles her head toward Zuko and smirks letting his hand go. "So, you never did tell me who you had that crush on. And remember when you were in the quicksand and you said that you'd do anything? Well, you _have _to tell me who it is. You can't back out now!"

"You can't prove that I'm lying, though." He smirks despite himself.

"Sparky, I've known you for how long now? Don't worry, I know when you're lying even if my feet were on fire, you are a terrible liar."

He growls inwardly and as he does so a cracking noise rings through his ears. The noise he had been dreading through the entire walk, it had not left his mind once. And now that it had happened, his mind is blank. Before his mind regain itself and register what is happening he is falling, and in seconds he is enveloped in the icy cold water. Now Toph wishes she was still holding her hand in his so tightly that she would never let go of him ever. She could have saved him, or they could've gone down together.

Everything seems to happen in those mere seconds. For one, Zuko can't find the hole for his life (literally). He swims as close as he can to the ice and attempts to punch through it. He bashes against it, keeping in mind he has broken fingers and can feel them throbbing in agony opposing him against it, and Toph can faintly hear his desperate attempt of getting free from the holds of the water.

The other main concept that ensues is that Toph screams out to Zuko something inaudible to him in pure desperation. He needs to hear her voice, and she needs him to hear hers.

He tries to melt the ice after attempting to break through it, but this turns out to be a failed attempt, as his inner fire has temporarily frozen over due to the ice cold temperature that has suddenly hit him and because of the panic he is experiencing. Adrenaline can't help him now.

Toph yells out again, tears falling down her cheeks, but it doesn't reach his ears. She can't do anything for him, not a thing. She can't help him find his way back to the hole, she can't swim to him nor can she retrieve his firebending. Still screaming out to him in desperation she tentatively but also quickly gets on her hands and knees and feels for the edge of the broken ice. When she finds it she plunges her hand down into the water, the arctic feel up her arm forgotten, in attempt for him to see it and grab hold. But to her dismay she knows he is already gone. It had become less and less unlikely, and now finally very unlikely that he would bob his head out of the hole and begin laughing and saying things like, 'you should have seen your face'.

No, this was not like a surprise birthday party, considering as though she can feel the vibrations in the room before she even gets there. But now she had lost all ounce of hope he is going to show his face again and now she doesn't know what to do.

Sit there and hope to Yue that he'll eventually float back up. Not possible, not even the Fire Lord can hold his breath for that long. So should she sit there and cry until there are no tears left and she eventually forget what she is crying about until it all comes flooding back and the cycle starts all over again. Or, the last option, get up and keep on going. No, she doesn't know how far away the Water Tribe is. No, she doesn't know where to go. She is sure that she'll veer off into another direction and die out there. No, she doesn't know if Zuko is alive…but how can he be?

In the panic and out of breath Zuko manages to swim down as fast as he can, his joints stiff. Through the darkness of the water he sees an outline of an object in the distance, just a shadow. In a final attempt, his lungs filling up with water, he discovers it's a shipwreck, but not just any shipwreck...

It seems like a strange eerie silence surrounds him as he reaches it. He realises that in fact he is now completely alone, and in a far worse situation than he ever was. At least he had a better chance of survival in the forest with Toph. And for the umpteenth time today he thought he was going to die, that his days were finally numbered. He thinks that this is what he was meant to do; this is why he was found in the forest by Toph. That was purely because he was meant to guide her back home, well a home of sorts. His destiny, his fate, was meant to guide Toph and put her on the right track, and he had done that. And in the back of his mind he knows that she's going to be safe. That she _will _arrive safely, it _was _his destiny after all. Although, a voice argued that she may not actually be safe. But his heart tells him she will be, she needs to be, so that he can die happy. Because this was his fate, and everything happens for a reason.

He continues swimming toward the shipwreck, in which he doesn't realise holds an air pocket. With the last breath of life in his body he swims inside and amazingly his head bobs out of the water and he splutters out water, coughing out the water in his lungs. He takes in large gasps of air that his lungs are in desperate need for. He regains himself after nearly slipping into unconsciousness.

_I'm alive, _he thinks incredulously._ This can't be happening. I _should _be dead. How can this be happening?_

"Ouch. OK, I'm alive." He had just pinched himself to prove that he was in fact alive. "Zuko, listen, there is a perfectly good reason why you are still alive. Please, use it for good. Get out of this ice hell alive."

Nodding to himself in reassurance he takes a breath and goes back underwater to look around. He doesn't know what he is looking for, but none the less he still has a peel. And there on his left he spots a tunnel heading further into the depths of the ocean.

_OK__, Zuko, it is impossible for me to break through the ice with a practically broken hand and no firebending. So, I'm going to swim through that tunnel and see where it takes me. But first, I'll grab that piping down there just in case, _Zuko says in this head to motivate himself.

Nodding to himself again, he fills his lungs with one last gulp of oxygen and swims down to easily pull off the rusted metal pipe from where it is held in place. He then swims through the tunnel hoping to Yue it leads him somewhere where he can see the sky again and breathe in life's sweet smelling scent of freedom and fate.


	12. Who Knows What Life Will Throw At You

_Okay, quick hello. I've had these done forever and have just returned to so they're up now if anyone was bothering to read. I just need to complete it. So, this is the end. I might start writing again soon...we shall see. 3_

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**Chapter 11****: Who Knows What Life Will Throw at You**

_Everything happens for a reason, Zuko. It's fate! Fate hasn't always been good to me, but it's never fully let me down. I'm still alive and in perspective healthy. I wouldn't rather be lost in the woods with anyone other than Toph, and my life has been saved a few times already. Why not once more?_

Struggling to swim his lungs filling up with water once again, he kicks his legs frantically and pushes his arms in an outward motion. He thinks about the warmth of the Fire Nation, the engulfing feeling of fire, the warmth of his bed and the friendly, tingly feeling he gets from a plain hug.

He finally reaches the end of the tunnel after already losing most of his breath. He doesn't think he can hold on for as long this time. But just as before, he still has something to live for.

He opens his eyes and immediately averts his gaze to above him. He is already swimming to the surface as he tries to make out what is laid out above him. He begins to think that the piping in his hand won't do anything to save him. And as he realises what is placed above him he knows he doesn't need it.

There, only metres away is still blocks of ice, but this time they are jagged, meaning they are broken off pieces. But the main thing he sees is the distant ray of sunlight as he closes in on the surface of the water. There may be ice, but they are only bergs or platforms, just enough room for him to swim up through comfortably. Smiling inwardly he drops the piping and watches it float back down to the ocean floor.

He breaks through surface after swallowing too much water for his liking, and lands slung over a platform of ice struggling to keep himself warm.

Concentrating on his inner fire he brings it back to life slightly like a candle that has burnt out but has been blown on and jumps back to life. Breathing out fire with every breath he keeps from freezing to death. He looks around to see nothing but a thin slab of ice, just as before. A blanket of white that seems to go on for miles…forever.

And for a second Zuko loses every ounce of hope inside of him. Because for that second he thinks about Toph and all the questions race through his mind in a kaleidoscope formation. A slideshow that is being moved on too fast as there is not enough time to take in and acknowledge the pictures _as well as_ read the information.

But in his case, there is not enough time to answer it _and _he admits to himself that he hasn't got the knowledge to answer them. The first and most common out of pure instinct, _is she OK? Where is she? Did she fall in too? Has she suffered from hypothermia? Did she make it to safety? _And last but not least, _is she thinking about me? Does she think it's her fault that she couldn't help? Does she think I'm dead?_

His head spins in answerless circles. And with an almighty shove he manages to shift those questions out of his head with a great effort indeed. He needs to keep his mind focused, his ears and eyes alert and thoughts free unless they are filled up with solutions to his not so great predicament. He thinks back to what he said before…that fate brought him this far to save her. Then, it was up to him on whether he had the guts to survive. And that he did.

Eyeing the endless slate of ice he glumly and carefully climbs out of the water. Shivering from head to toe he makes small fires in his hands to warm them up. He watches his breath stop in mid-air and finally float away until it disappears. He can do this.

"I think I rather greens and browns compared to…white. It's so dull in words. How could anybody possible live out here?!" He shakes his head.

Already forgotten about the risk of falling through the ice again, it quickly floods back into his mind when the ice breaks away when he steps on it. He makes a leap to the other part and as he takes another step forward his foot balances on the edge of a slope and he stumbles backward and onto his behind on the rock hard ice. Scrambling back up again he notices the transition from ice to snow lain out in front of him. He hadn't noticed it before due to his eyes being so adjusted to the blanket of white.

Kneeling on the soft snow he picks up a clump of it in his right hand and lets it fall between his outstretched fingers. He peeks over the edge of the steep drop and he can't believe his eyes. In the distance he can make out a village, but not just any village. It's the village he had raided looking for the Avatar years ago. A shocked expression, but never the less a grin, washes over his face in relief and happiness. He can't believe it; he is actually going to get back home again. He is actually going to see his Uncle again.

Eyeing the dots of houses intently he figures out a quick way of getting down the slope. And as if his prayers had been answered a trilling sound snaps him out of his thoughts nearly causing him to roll down the hill head first. He turns to his right and undoubtedly sees a rookery of penguins huddled together. His golden eyes flicker from the penguins to the snowy slope, back and forth. The idea strikes him instantly and his grin widens.

And in seconds the Fire Lord himself is riding down a snow covered hill on the back of a penguin who is still protesting Zuko's 'free ride'.

All is forgotten as Zuko cheers and laughs, but he quickly lowers himself against the penguins and holds on tightly with his right hand again after a near fall. _Since when do penguins buck and protest?_

He imagines himself being flung head first into the snow adding to his injuries…not quite what he needs right about now.

Happy thoughts rush through his mind. This is how he wishes his youth was like.

The penguin comes to a stand still and Zuko who is still too busy having fun doesn't notice an old lady staring down at him with wide eyes. He slowly gets off the penguin and it quickly waddles away.

"You must be Fire Lord Zuko…."

He has seen her before. He knows her, but how? Of course he had been to this village but her eyes remind him of…Katara's.

"Someone is waiting for you," she says kindly, a small smile evident.

And as soon as he sets eyes on the small earthbender his love for her as a friend, and maybe more, hits him like a wave crashing down on him and knocking him over. Then Toph does just that. She runs over to him and hugs him, pounding him on the back with tears falling freely down her cheeks.

"Woah there, can't you see that I'm out of breath as it is?"

"How can you be out of breath, when you have the energy to say to me that you are out of breath?"

There's a pause.

"You," Zuko says plainly.

"What?" she questions bewildered.

"You said before that I never did answer who I had a crush on. And my answer is you."

"You always have a way of changing the subject." Finally she breaks apart and punches him in the arm playfully and she says exasperatedly unable to hide it any longer, "How can you even think of that now? What do you think you were playing at? I was so worried about you…you…imbecile!"

"Hey, hey, hey, I couldn't help that I fell through the ice." He holds up his hands in a defensive like movement.

"I can't believe you're alive and still have a sense of humour!"

Too many scenarios and questions running through her mind she results in throwing herself at Zuko again and he takes her in his arms. "I missed you too."

He kisses her forehead and they remain in an embrace for minutes on end, Zuko knowing full well that he's making his fingers much worse by grabbing onto her so tightly. But he doesn't care, fate has let him passed its evil grasps again, and has led him to the one he loves. How much longer he can stay out of its grasp he is not sure. But one thing he does know for sure is that he'll never let go of Toph. Never.

Feelings pour through her soul like water into a basin with its taps turned until it can not be turned they stand in their embrace Toph thinks, _Fate is a strange thing. Remind me again why everything happens for a reason…_

And while Zuko thinks, _Thank you, Uncle. Everything does happen for a reason…_


End file.
